Body rest for workers in elevated positions



July 19, 1966 w. HARDER BODY REST FOR WORKERS IN ELEVATED POSITIONS Filed May 7, 1964 INVENTOR: WILLIAM HARDER ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,261,425 BODY REST FOR WORKERS IN ELEVATED POSITIONS William Harder, 831 S. Friends Ave., Whittier, Calif. Filed May 7, 1964, Ser. No. 365,699 4 Claims. (Cl. 182187) I The invention relates to body supports for Workers operating in elevated positions, and more particularly to a support vseat for lumberjacks, for power and telephone linemen where vertical elements such as telephone and power poles, transformer frames and like installations must be climbed.

Conventionally, linemen and lumbermen use sharp climbers, one strapped to each lower leg, and a safety belt adapted to go about the vertical element being climbed. The -climbers and belt are used not only to achieve working height, but also to support continuously the lineman or other worker While the job is done. For linemen particularly, the muscle strain on the legs can be intense, since installations of Wiring Webs can span several hours. I have invented a body support or seat apparatus that relieves the climbers legs of the full body weight conventionally imposed thereon without hindering working maneuverability or safety.

The invention contemplates body support or seat apparatus for use with vertical elements having horizontal components which comprises a seat surface for supporting the climber, a shaft that extends at an angle from the seat surface, and safety belt rings fixed to the apparatus beneath the seat surface. A nonconducting safety belt is removably secured to the belt rings, lforming la closed loop about the vertical element and absorbing tension Vforces resultant from Weight upon the seat surface. Engaging means secured to the end of the shaft remote from the seat surface engage the vertical elements or their horizontal components. Preferably the shaft and engaging means are electrically insulated eXteriorly.

The body support or seat apparatus is preferably hoisted to the climber in conventional fashion after he has achieved Working position by using conventional climbers and Waist safety belt. The engaging means of the inventive apparatus may comprise a pointed shard suitably joined to the end of the nonconducting shaft. The apparatus is positioned by engaging the shard in the power pole or other vertical element, below and between the feet of the user as he rests upon his climbers. The seat safety belt is then looped about the pole and the free end secured to the second belt ring of the seat apparatus. The climber then lowers his weight upon the seat surface and leans back. Part of the weight load imposes a compressive load upon the seat apparatus shaft and the rest of the Weight load imposes a tension force upon the seat safety belt. The climber is thus supported on the seat, relieving the leg strain, but leaving him still related to the pole with his time-tested waist safety belt and leg climbers.

The seat apparatus shaft is preferably of a jointed shaft of insulating material with a standard upper section and a lower section whose length may vary. The combined length of the two sections may thus be altered to give appropriate seat position for persons of differing leg lengths.

In most instances a sharp engaging means is joined to the remote end of the apparatus shaft to be plunged into the conventional wooden telephone or power line ICC poles. However, much overhead wiring -and cable splicing is done in power substations where transformer racks and overhead towers are of metal. Therefore, an alternate engaging means may be attached to the apparatus shaft which comprises horizontal and vertical engaging flanges adapted to make contact with like oriented surfaces of tower and rack horizontal components. Preferably the flanges form a bracket which is pivotally attached to the end of the shaft. Such a bracket or engaging means may also securely engage the wooden crossarms upon a vertical pole to increase the reach outwardly from the pole center 0f which a lineman is capable. Once again the factor of muscle strain is overcome by the apparatus of the invention, making longer periods of work possible without a change in position. Not only is the Worker more rested but work efliciency rises as muscle strain is lessened.

These and other advantages of the invention are apparent in the following detailed description and drawing in which:

FIG. l is a side elevation of the body support apparatus of the invention in use upon a wooden vertical pole;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the apparatus of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation, partly in section, of an alternate embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional elevation taken in the area 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is Ian elevational view, partly in section, of a preferred engaging means;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view, partly in section, of an alternate engaging means; and

FIG. 7 is a side elevation showing fragmentarily a further alternate embodiment of the invention.

In FIG. l a wooden power pole 10 having horizontal crossarms 11, 12 rises above ground level 14. A climber or lineman 15 having climbers, such as the climber 17, attached to each leg is movably held to the pole by the climber 17 and a safety belt 18 of conventional design.

Most of the body weight of the lineman is supported Y by a body support or seat apparatus 21 that comprises a seat 22 having a seat surface 23 above a seat plate 24. An electrically nonconducting shaft 26 extends downwardly from seat plate 24 at an angle to seat surface 23. Preferably the shaft comprises an upper section 27 and a lower section 28. A joint 29 links shaft 26 and a shard 30 imbedded in the pole 10. The total length of ythe shaft may be varied as desired by supplying section 28 of different lengths.

Immediately beneath seat 22 a pair of safety belt D- rings 31, 32 (see FIG. 2) are secured to the seat plate. A conventional leather or nylon safety belt 34 is looped about pole 10 and hooked by means of the snap fasteners 31A, 32A into the D-rings of the seat apparatus. Like belt 18, safety belt 34 is adjustable as to length by means of its conventional buckle 35.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the lineman may lean back and displace the seat from the pole the distance permitted by belt 34. The downward weight component is taken by the shaft, tending to sink the shard more deeply into the pole. The lineman is free to move in a limited arc horizontally with respect to the point at which shard 30 is imbedded. Since the snap ends 36, 37 of the safety belt 34 are very close together when in use, the linemans legs are outside of the seat safety belt and given great freedom of movement. Mobility may be increased by disengaging the leg climbers from the pole and relying entirely upon the seat apparatus for support.

In addition to providing greater working comfort, the seat apparatus of the invention also adds to safety. The lineman is free t reach from side to side and to his rear to a great extent without disturbing the grip of the leg climbers on the pole or the tension of his waist safety belt. Additionally, should anything displace the seat apparatus, a lineman still has the conventional leg climbers and waist safety belt to establish his equilibrium.

The apparatus shaft 26 is preferably of a thick wall tubing of dielectric qualities, such as polyvinyl chloride plastic distributed under trade names such as Kraloy Such materials may be machined so that sections 27, 28 may be threadably joined at 39 and so that the shard 30 may be threadably engaged in the remote end 41 of the shaft. Slip joints of selective tightness may also be used.

The shaft may be secured to the seat by means of a mounting disc 43 having a slanted hollow boss 44 in which the upper end of the shaft may be secured by conventional means. The disc may be fixed to plate 24 by suitable conventional means, such as the threaded fasteners 45.

In FIG. 3 an alternate embodiment of the invention, generally designated 50, has a support seat 51 with an upper seat surface 52. Seat 51 may be a conventional heavy duty bicycle seat which has a clamping bracket 53 forward of the shock springs 54 of the seat.

The clamping bracket 53 grips a special angular post 56 which has a depending post portion 57 oriented at an angle to seat surface 52. Post portion 57 lits within a metallic collar 58 fixed to the top of tubular nonconducting shaft 62. A binding screw 63 threadably engaged in collar 58 locks the post within shaft 62 so that the shaft is thereby secured at an angle to seat surface 52. A tubular shaft of suitable plastic material may have an outside diameter of 1% to 13/8 and an inside diameter of one inch or more depending upon the strength characteristics of the material. In such wall thickness large persons may be supported on the seat with an `adequate safety factor.

FIG. 4 illustrates in fragmentary sectional elevation a means of achieving a nonconducting shaft. The shaft 62 may have an inner rigid core 71 of either metal or other material having low dielectric properties. An outer sheath 72 of high dielectric properties is placed about inner core 71 the entire length of shaft 62. Sheath 72 may be a suitable tube, or may be a liquid coating applied to the, core and dried.

D-shaped safety belt rings 65, 66 are secured to shaft 62 near its juncture with the seat. The rings may be fixed to the shaft by binding tape loops 67 or by other similar bands. Alternatively, the rings can be fixed to post 56 or to other elements of the seat if more convenient or economically more desirable. I

Remote end 73 of the shaft has external threads 73A. A joint 74 has internal threads 75 engaging end 73. The joint has a downward clevis tab 7 8 which cooperates with two spaced parallel ears 79 -of an engaging means 61 to which the joint is connected adjustably by hinge bolt 82. The ears may be brought into binding frictional contact with the clevis tab by means of a wing nut (not shown) cooperating with hinge bolt 82.

Engaging -means 81 comprises ears 79, `a horizontal flange 84 and a vertical flange S5. The flanges have planar contact faces S6, 87 adapted to engage with the similarly oriented outer faces (not shown) of horizontal components of the element being climbed or upon which work is being done. As can be seen from FIG. 3, horizontal iiange 84 extends in the direction of shaft extension from the seat.

In FIG. 5 the preferred shard of the invention is illustrated. The shard body 30A is affixed to a joint 91 that is internally threaded. Alternatively, the joint may have an internal diameter adapted to slip iit over an end of the shaft and be pinned in place. Preferably the shard has three tapering facets, of which facets 92 and 93 are shown in FIG. 5. The three facets taper to a point adapted to be thrust into the telephone pole or other element ybeing climbed.

The three facets are approximately the same size and shape. Their uniformity imparts rigidity to the shard without lessening the ease of penetration, since both the point and the intersection lines of the facets are sharp.

In FIG. 6 an alternate engaging means is shown. A bifurcated shard 96 has an internally threaded joint 98 adapted for joinder to the remote end of the seat shaft. Prongs 99 and 100 extend from the joint in a common plane. Each prong is preferably elliptical in cross-sectional coniiguration with sharpened free ends 101.

The shard 96 penetrates easily and tends to inhibit sideways motion of the seat shaft, since they engage separated points upon the pole penetrated.

In FIG. 7 an alternate embodiment of the invention is shown fragmentarily. Seat apparatus 111 has a seat shaft 112 and an engaging bracket 113. Shaft 112 terminates in a ball joint 114 to which bracket 113 is `attached in conventional fashion. The ball joint permits bracket 113 to change its relationship to shaft 112 in all three planes. Bracket 113 has flanges 118, 119 disposed at right angles to each other. The brackets have smooth inner faces adapted to abut the oriented surfaces of horizontal components of the vertical elements of the structure upon which work is being done. A tie strap 121 fixed at one end to iiange 118 and releasably secured to the end lof flange 119 by a buckle 122 is adapted to loop about 4a horizontal component and fix the bracket with respect thereto.

The bracket or other engaging means and the ball joint may be coated with dielectric material, such as that previously mentioned. The bracket may also be sheathed within a nonconducting envelope. Other precautions conventionally taken to lower the risk of electric shock to users of apparatus may be taken with the apparatus of the invention. Many different seat congurations may be combined with the inventive apparatus, to suit differing usages. A `seat with a back rest, for instance, may be desirable.

The simplicity of construction of the invention apparatus makes it most economical. The inventive apparatus improves working conditions in a field of labor that has seen little improvement. The foregoing detailed specification discloses only a few of the embodiments of the invention. Many variations within the scope Iof the invention will occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, I wish the invention to be defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing illustrative disclosure.

I claim:

1. Climbers support apparatus for use on vertical poles comprising a seat, a seat surface on said seat being adapted to support a climber in a seated position, a shaft member extending `at an angle and rigidly fixed to the seat, a pole-engaging means at the free end of said shaft, a flexible support means of adjustable length having selectively releasable fasteners at the ends thereof, means adjacent to the juncture of the seat and shaft being adapted to cooperate with said fasteners, said flexible support means encircling the pole and supporting the seat in a position horizontally spaced from the pole and the seat being swingable about the juncture of the pole-engaging means and pole when `supporting the climber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pole engaging means penetrates the pole.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said pole-engaging means comprises a lbracket having flanges disposed at right angles to each other and pivotal means associated therewith adapted to receive the free end of said shaft, whereby said bracket can be used to engage horizontal members attached to said pole.

5 6 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said shaft mem- 1,206,574 11/ 1916 Miller 182-187 ber includes means for varying the length 0f said shaft 1,515,831 11/ 1924 Bush 182-46 member whereby the distance between the seat and pole 2,074,586 3 1937 Heinrich 182-187 X may be selectively changed. 2,879,830 3/ 1959 Johnson 182-187 5 3,158,224 11/1964 Van Name 182-46 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 286,577 8/1915 Germany.

93,502 S/1869 Uden isz-121 fg lsa mzgf 10 HARRISON R. MosELEY, Primary Examiner.

857,203 6/1907 Randall 182-187 REINALDO P. MACHADO, Examiner. 

1. CLIMBER''S SUPPORT APPARATUS FOR USE ON VERTICAL POLES COMPRISING A SEAT, A SEAT SURFACE ON SAID SEAT BEING ADAPTED TO SUPPORT A CLIMBER IN A SEATED POSITION, A SHAFT MEMBER EXTENDING AT AN ANGLE AND RIGIDLY FIXED TO THE SEAT, A POLE-ENGAGING MEANS AT THE FREE END OF SAID SHAFT, A FLEXIBLE SUPPORT MEANS OF ADJUSTABLE LENGTH HAVING SELECTIVELY RELEASABLE FASTENERS AT THE ENDS THEREOF, MEANS ADJACENT TO THE JUNCTURE OF THE SEAT AND SHAFT BEING ADAPTED TO COOPERATE WITH SAID FASTENERS, SAID FLEXIBLE SUPPORT MEANS ENCIRCLING THE POLE AND SUPPORTING THE SEAT IN A POSITION HORIZONTALLY SPACED FROM THE POLE AND THE SEAT BEING SWINGABLE ABOUT THE JUNCTURE OF THE POLE-ENGAGING MEANS AND POLE WHEN SUPPORTING THE CLIMBER. 